Coleman Shows Versatility in Win Over Rival

Sam Webb

02/23/2004

<p><strong>Ronald Coleman</strong> had his worst offensive outing of the year
in his team&#8217;s first game with the Belleville Tigers this season. In the
rematch the future Michigan wing put together a well-rounded effort that lead
Romulus to its first win over the Tigers in the last five meetings.</p>
<b>**Action Photos of Coleman and Jerrett Smith Included**</b>

The games between the Belleville Tigers and the Romulus Eagles have been some
of the most hotly contested battles in southeast Michigan over the past few
years. Unfortunately for the Eagles, the last four contests ended in losses.
The most recent meeting occurred a few weeks ago and the Tigers employed a stifling
defensive strategy to stymie the play of future Michigan Wolverine Ronald Coleman.
The Tiger staff used 6-6 center Rob Igbawua to pressure Ronnie’s outside
shots and ran two or three defenders at him when he drove to the hole or set
up in the post. Their efforts limited RC to 5 points on only eight shots. After
the success experienced with that strategy in the last game, it came as no surprise
when the Tigers began to utilize those same tactics Friday night. This time,
however, Ronnie was prepared to handle all of the extra attention.

In the last game between the two squads Ron settled for a lot of jumpers. In
this encounter, however, it became clear on Romulus’ opening basket that
he wouldn’t be doing the same thing. After Belleville scored the first
3 points of the night, Ron drove to the hole from the top key as a second defender
collapsed on him. When two defenders converged, Ronnie dished the ball to a
basket cutting teammate for an easy deuce. Coleman himself didn’t score
his first bucket until Jerret Smith, who didn’t start because he’s
been nursing an ankle injury, entered the game and threw him an alley-oop from
half-court. Ron converted for an and-1 opportunity, which he capitalized on
to put Romulus up 11-7 with 1:57 left in the first. A few moments later Ron
brought the ball up court, drove to the hole with a hesitation dribble, and
again saw two defenders come at him. This time he kicked the ball out to a teammate
for a wide-open 3-pointer to give the Eagles a 16-7 lead at the end of 1.

Ronnie goes up for the shot

The Tigers are one of the hardest working teams in the state and their “high
energy” style of play started to show more in the second. Sophomore Leon
Freeman provided his proverbial spark off the bench when he rebounded his own
miss at the free throw line and made a lay-up to cut the lead to six. A few
minutes later senior Tyler Jones nailed a 3-pointer and Freeman followed that
up by stealing the ball at half-court and soaring in for an uncontested dunk
to make the score 18-15. Romulus continued their sudden lack of ball security
by turning the ball over the next two possessions, which allowed Belleville
to cut the deficit to 1 with another easy lay-up. Coleman held them off on the
other end by driving down the lane to his left and kicking it out to Kyle Wasson
for a wide open 3 to make it 21-17 with 4:39 left. Belleville countered with
a 3 and continued to keep the pressure on until Coleman gave his teammates a
much needed lift with a tip slam on the way to a 30-24 halftime Eagle lead.

Jones and Freeman continued to spark the Tigers in the 3rd with 5 points apiece.
They kept up their defensive pressure and managed to tie the game at 40 by the
end of the quarter. After a relatively quiet 3rd for Romulus’ key players,
they stepped up and showed their worth in the fourth.

Leon Freeman

Tyler Jones gave Belleville their first lead since early in the game with a
drive and scoop to make the score 42-40 at the beginning of the fourth. Ron Coleman came back down and responded, driving to the hole once again and finding
the open man going to the basket to tie it back up. Smith followed that up with
a breakaway lay-up to give Romulus the lead. Belleville continued to fight back
but Coleman just wouldn’t let his team succumb to opposition. Three consecutive
times down the court Ronnie got the ball and delivered…twice on buckets
in the post and once on an and-1 runner from the left elbow to extend the Romulus
lead to 53-47 with 3:19 left. Following that last possession, Jerret stepped
in with a play that epitomizes what he brings to the table.

Jerret took the outlet pass from his teammate as a Belleville defender picked
him up at half court. He then pulled the ball out to direct traffic and noticed
one of his teammates on the weak side of the defense. Jerret then exploded to
the rack from the left elbow and jumped about 5 feet from the basket doing a
180 in the air so that he was facing the crowd. At the same time, his teammate
on the weak side made a basket cut. Somehow, Smith knew exactly where he was
and found him with a no-look pass between defenders and over his left shoulder
for an easy lay-up to make the score 55-47 with 2:40 left.

Jerret Smith

Romulus had an opportunity to put the game away from the line but they went
2/8 from the line down the stretch and allowed Belleville to take the lead,
60-59, with 35 seconds left. The game looked to be over when Romulus missed
a shot on the other end and the Tigers rebounded it before getting the outlet
pass up-court for an uncontested lay-up. Fortunately for the Eagles, Ronnie
didn’t give up on the play and gave chase over the entire length of the
court. Just as the Belleville player was about to convert the lay-up to ice
the game, Ronnie leaped and blocked it from behind. Another Belleville player
tipped it out, but Romulus’ Kyle Wasson with stole it a little under 10
seconds left on the clock. Wasson drove the length of the court and made it
all the way underneath the basket and was able to power the ball up for 2 despite
a defender being there to contest. Belleville had one more shot with 2 ticks
left on the clock, but it fell short and Romulus escaped with the unlikely 61-60
victory!

Ronnie finished the game with 16 points, 10 rebounds, 4 blocks and 5 assists
while Jerret had 6 points, 5 assists and 3 rebounds. Tyler Jones and Matt Miller
led Belleville with 12 each while Freeman had 10 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 steals.

Romulus closes the season tomorrow with Taylor Truman before opening the Mega
Conference tournament versus Highland Park on Friday.